Panera Bread and Holiday Gift Guides (5 on Friday)

So that explains why I am in clean-the-house-get-organized-finish-everything-christmas-is-almost-here-keep-moving-hurry-up mode!

So much to do, so little time. I want to send Christmas cards out already, finish decorating the tree, wrap up the gifts (pun intended), and get the house cleaned and ready for visitors!

BUT!

I am also reminding myself that so long as we have our health and each other (family and friends), we truly have all we need. In reality, the best thing I can do for myself and my family is to do less stuff. (Although I really really really want to put away the Christmas décor boxes and not have to address another holiday card!!!)

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Here’s my Five on Friday:

My sister recommended this book to me a long time ago and I finally “found time” to read it. It’s amazing! It’s a story about life and learning what is truly important. My only regret is that I didn’t start it sooner. When I find “more time,” I definitely want to write about the things this book has made me realize.

2) Breakfast at Panera Bread

If you knew me during my grad school days, you’d know you could ALWAYS find me at Panera Bread studying from 8-12 every morning! CANNOT GET ENOUGH caramel lattes and egg soufflés! While studying there, I would always see moms bring their kiddos and moms meeting up with other moms and I couldn’t wait until I brought my own kids one day.

That happened last week! My sister and I took out the boys to Panera Bread. WOW! It was challenging, as it always is going out to eat with the boys. But they loved it! We all shared bagels and my sister and I sipped our coffees. I sense a new weekly tradition…

So far, there have been gift guides for newborns through age 2. More gift guides will be posted each day. There are ideas for girl-girl twins, boy-boy twins, and boy-girl twins! Thanks, Twin Talk!

4) Calligraphy Extravaganza

…at my house!

It’s always been my dream to be a Hallmark card creator. Maybe this dream is still possible???

The envelopes above are blank ones that I made as money holders.

As for our actual holiday greeting cards, I did not realize how much fun hand-writing the addresses would be! What started out as something I planned to only do for a few people as practice turned into an huge endeavor! Hand-addressing 150+ Christmas cards sure takes a lot of time! But I am obsessed with writing and not only enjoy it, I find it sort of therapeutic.

What’s Up Moms did it again!!! Check out their hilarious MOM VERSION of Blank Space – can anyone relate with me?! That Starbucks is what truly SAVES sometimes?!?!

By the way, the BEST part of the video was the clarification that the song is NOT saying “Starbucks” lovers, which is what I TOTALLY heard, too!!!

When the boys were only a few months old, I was desperate to get out of the house and get my coffee on the weekends at home. In the mornings before the hubs was even awake, I would throw (not literally) the boys into the van, head out to Starbucks, and go to the drive thru!!! (Are you kidding? Did you think I really brought two infants into Starbucks ALONE?!)